Down V Armagh - Newry 26th Feb

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

The County board emailed club secretaries (most of whom have full-time jobs of course) at 3 16pm today requesting that clubs provide the exact number of stand tickets needed by their club by 5pm TOMORROW. The date of this match has been known for months. The standard of organisation is absolutely disgraceful. The insatiable demands placed on club officials are simply unfair.

[DownFanatic]

The County board emailed club secretaries (most of whom have full-time jobs of course) at 3 16pm today requesting that clubs provide the exact number of stand tickets needed by their club by 5pm TOMORROW. The date of this match has been known for months. The standard of organisation is absolutely disgraceful. The insatiable demands placed on club officials are simply unfair.

We have been set a deadline of 2pm. Why could the clubs not have been informed of this last week? Just puts so much pressure on club officials.

[snoopdog]

Anyone know of any bars in Edinburgh that might show the match?

i used to Live in Edinburgh and i spent many a sunday afternoon in Ryans Pub at the end of Princes Street below the castle.
Good pints and great Grub.
Isnt the egg chasing on in Edinburgh this weekend though?
Just ask the lad behind the bar to stick it on to Setanta.

[redandblackareback]

Lets be honest here, on saturday night you have one changing room with a management team who have their team playing to a structured game plan, they have possibly the best football trainer in the country, one of the most knowledgable men in the province and a very astute manager. In the other changing room you have a weight lifter and two men who are extremely limited tactically and a manager whose heart cant possibly be in winning no matter what any Armagh man thinks.

There wont be any shocks, it will simply be a straight forward win for Down by maybe 5/6 points depending on how much Armagh open out towards the end when their chasing the game against a well organised counter attacking down team. Its difficult to know where Down are right now but last weeks game will have helped Garvey and Rooney and brought a bit more stability to a defence who played very well last year, I do feel that after a win this saturday if we can take 3 or 4 points from our next 6 we could be looking at the top 2..  Ambitious but we were the 2nd best team in ireland last year!

[anportmorforjfc]

Lets be honest here, on saturday night you have one changing room with a management team who have their team playing to a structured game plan, they have possibly the best football trainer in the country, one of the most knowledgable men in the province and a very astute manager. In the other changing room you have a weight lifter and two men who are extremely limited tactically and a manager whose heart cant possibly be in winning no matter what any Armagh man thinks.

There wont be any shocks, it will simply be a straight forward win for Down by maybe 5/6 points depending on how much Armagh open out towards the end when their chasing the game against a well organised counter attacking down team. Its difficult to know where Down are right now but last weeks game will have helped Garvey and Rooney and brought a bit more stability to a defence who played very well last year, I do feel that after a win this saturday if we can take 3 or 4 points from our next 6 we could be looking at the top 2..  Ambitious but we were the 2nd best team in ireland last year!

A bit over-confident, no?

[armaghniac]

Ambitious but we were the 2nd best team

I think you mean the second best team in Division 2.

[redandblackareback]

Ambitious but we were the 2nd best team

I think you mean the second best team in Division 2.

Very good, very good.. No not over confident lads just realistic really of where the 2 teams are right now. Think its going to take Armagh another couple of years to bring through some of those successful minors but unfortunately for you guys Paddy is not the answer for Armagh football. It was a very poor appointment from the county board and a very poor decision by Paddy to take it, tactically he is inept and there is no one in his management team with a footballing brain sorry but true.

[orchard 8195]

, on saturday night you have one changing room with a management team who have their team playing to a structured game plan, they have possibly the best football trainer in the country, one of the most knowledgable men in the province and a very astute manager. In the other changing room you have a weight lifter and two men who are extremely limited tactically and a manager whose heart cant possibly be in winning no matter what any Armagh man thinks. [/quote]

have to admit ur not far wrong with ur opinion on r management,  player wise there is very little between the teams. youse have better forwards (at the minute), we have better defenders midfield is even enough. Just shows with down nearly winning ai last year what we could do if we had a decent backroom team. Still think our players will be motivated enough t make it a very close game that could go either way.

[DuffleKing]

Lets be honest here, on saturday night you have one changing room with a management team who have their team playing to a structured game plan, they have possibly the best football trainer in the country, one of the most knowledgable men in the province and a very astute manager. In the other changing room you have a weight lifter and two men who are extremely limited tactically and a manager whose heart cant possibly be in winning no matter what any Armagh man thinks.

There wont be any shocks, it will simply be a straight forward win for Down by maybe 5/6 points depending on how much Armagh open out towards the end when their chasing the game against a well organised counter attacking down team. Its difficult to know where Down are right now but last weeks game will have helped Garvey and Rooney and brought a bit more stability to a defence who played very well last year, I do feel that after a win this saturday if we can take 3 or 4 points from our next 6 we could be looking at the top 2..  Ambitious but we were the 2nd best team in ireland last year!

Don't disagree with too much of that - bar the over estimation of Tally & McIvor - unfortunately. I do believe, however, that armagh posess better players and on any given day, gameplan & organization can be over ridden by pure performance (down beating tyrone in the marshes). Sadly, we are lumbered with this management for the forseeable future and i think the the players are good enough to produce a decent championship run - which will mean another year with them.

Anyway - Armagh by 3!

[armaghniac]

Armagh have better players, but 2 or 3 of them are going to be playing in Navan rather than the Marshes at the weekend, so it will be tight for us.

[PAULD123]

I can't see how anyone thinks Armagh has better players - Hello 4 All Stars? and another 3 All star nominations, and McKernan was clearly robbed of one. Who are all these Armagh players that are better than Dan Gordon, Benny Coulter, Marty Clarke, Danny Hughes, Brendan McVeigh, Kevin McKernan, Conor Garvey, Decky Rooney?

However the standard is at least close and I think the game will be tight. We are helped by Armagh's bad management. I heard a long time ago that Paddy was only ever appointed as a night-watchman. Armagh saw a lot of young talent coming through (evidence a 2009 All Ireland Minor win), the old Armagh team had faded, and McGeeny was still a raw coach. The theory I heard was Paddy was appointed to lead during the fallow years, to do little more than tread water until the new talent was ready and McGeeny had matured as a coach. Then McGeeny takes over as manager of a young talented side. Very importantly when the time is right, the sacking of a former Down player to install the Armagh All-Ireland winning captain would not cause any protests.

I heard this around the time of Paddy's appointment and it all still seems plausible to me.

[illdecide]

I can't see how anyone thinks Armagh has better players - Hello 4 All Stars? and another 3 All star nominations, and McKernan was clearly robbed of one. Who are all these Armagh players that are better than Dan Gordon, Benny Coulter, Marty Clarke, Danny Hughes, BrendanMcVeigh, Kevin McKernan, Conor Garvey, Decky Rooney?

So what you're saying is Armagh don't have a chance...With them players you guys are certs for the all ireland no other team should turn up

[PAULD123]

What part of - "However the standard is at least close and I think the game will be tight. " can you not understand?

At least read before you try to put words into my mouth which are clearly in complete contradiction of the words I actually wrote.

So once again because you obviously have a problem reading:

So what you're saying is Armagh don't have a chance - NO I AM SAYING THE STANDARD IS CLOSE AND I THINK THE GAME WILL BE TIGHT

[illdecide]

Well what part of that paragraph you wrote can u not understand...all your all stars and the players that didn't get them that should have. I'm not putting words into your mouth, you wrote it not me, I'm just pointing out from your words that what chance have we or any other team against your ALL STARS

[armaghniac]

If the aristocrat All-Ireland finalists cannot beat an understrength relegation candidate team like Armagh at home, it would be a real shock. We are only going along to get a chance to do a bit of shopping in Newry, and amaze at the greatness of Down, winners of the 2008 Dr McKenna cup and many other achievements.